Clear, pale silvery-gold colour, with
a lovely nose of freshly-cut lime, grass, nettles and pea pods. Very floral,
too, redolent of spring flowers and elder blossom, dried herbs and a real
sense of stony minerality. The flavours are intensely fresh and focused,
zingy rather than pithy, with flavours of lime and lemon zest, hints of tart
apple and a touch of peach. Medium-bodied, but with excellent concentration
of fruit, wrapped around a core of intense minerality and quite breathtaking
acidity. Subtle ginger and spice notes linger on a persistent, mouth-watering
finish. If you appreciate delicate, nervy whites – light and fresh on the
palate, yet with tremendous depth and complexity - then you will love this
wine. Furthermore, whilst it is wonderful to drink on its own, it is also
a superb match for all manner of foods. Wonderful to drink now, or over the
next couple of years - and really benefits from plenty of air. Amazing quality/price
ratio, and one of the finest bargains on our list.

Clear, pale, shiny silvery-gold colour.
Reading through my note on it's predecessor (the 2012) I don't really have
a lot to add. Once again, the nose offers a complex array of freshly-cut
lime, grass, spring flowers and elder blossom, with stony minerality and
a strong whiff of Provençal herbs (notably oregano and basil). It
is beautifully fresh and focused in the mouth, with flavours of lime and
lemon zest, tart apple and under-ripe nectarine. Medium-bodied, but with
excellent concentration of fruit (and no oak) wrapped around a core of intense
minerality and laser-like acidity, with a subtle spiciness on the long finish.
If you appreciate delicate, nervy whites – light and fresh on the palate,
yet with tremendous depth and complexity - then you will love this wine,
which is great to drink now, or over the next year or two. Although equally
suitable as an aperitif or with food, this is no run-of-the-mill quaffer
- it is a tight, focused and really delicious wine, and surely worth a tenner
of anybody's money. Quite simply, one of the finest bargains on our list.
Biodynamic.

A bright, medium-pale, limpid gold colour.
I could happily sit just savouring the aromas and flavours of this wine
and not write a word. But of course I must - because from the moment the
cork is pulled, it takes all of a minute to start showing the vibrancy,
class and sheer joie de vivre that I have come to expect from the wines of
Domaine de Montesquiou. I have often opined that this estate is the greatest
discovery of my time in the wine business, and this one delivers everything
I hope for and more. It reeks and tastes of apple, lemon, lime, quince and
all manner of stone fruits, with subtle floral and herbal nuances and more
steely minerality than you can shake a stick at. Aged in oak barrels for
a year, though you may not notice, for the effect is masterly. And the palate
certainly lives up to the billing, with all of the elements melding together
in perfect harmony. It bites, yet at the same time caresses, with bucket
loads of white fruit and citrus, wrapped around an immense core of steely,
stony minerality and bracing acidity. It really does make the mouth water
and the tabs laugh in a truly life-affirming way. Although from a backwater
of southwest France, and made from Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng, this
isn't (stylistically) a million miles from top-notch white Burgundy. Or perhaps
something *really* good from its close namesake, the Jura. Frankly, I have
run out of superlatives for this grower's wines. Quite simply, they are
very special. Biodynamic.

The colour is a bright, limpid, shiny,
pale gold. The nose is surprisingly complex, with aromas of quince, papaya,
pineapple, fresh root ginger and fleeting hints of coconut oil and petrol.
The texture is at the same time luscious and utterly mouth-watering. An
intense attack of bitter-sweet citrus and crystallised white fruits gives
way to a wonderfully tangy, semi-dry mid-palate, followed by a lingering,
tangy, spiced orange marmalade finish. In the hierarchy of Montesquiou's
sweet wines, this is strictly speaking the "entry level", and whilst the
Gros Manseng is perhaps a touch more rustic than the noble Petit Manseng
of Grappe d'Or, it is in many ways almost as compelling and contrary. Even
for an estate that simply doesn't know how to make average wines, this is
somewhat of a mini-masterpiece.

The grapes for this wine are harvested
deep into November, by which time they have begun to dry on the vine, concentrating
the flavours, whilst retaining all of the bracing acidity which is the hallmark
of Petit Manseng. The colour is a very enticing shiny, rich yellow-gold. The
nose has everything, from tangy lemon and lime oil, baked apples and apricots,
through to figs, toffee, ginger and exotic spices and herbs. And it almost
goes without saying that you can smell the minerality. The palate hits you
with a mouthful of sweet, rich apricot and peach flavours, with a viscous
but never gloopy texture, and all manner of fresh and preserved citrus and
tree fruit flavours. And then you get that incredible wave of nervy acidity
and steely minerality, followed by a warm, spice and ginger hit at the end.
Not that anything sticks out, as it all comes together beautifully, in a
wine that keeps you coming back for more. And with every sip, it reveals yet
more layers of complexity and wonderfulness! A quite stunning wine, and one
which I could never tire of drinking.

This is made from the estate's oldest
Petit Manseng vines, with grapes harvested during a succession of "tries"
(passes) through the vineyard, during late November and early December. Read
my note on Grappe d'or (above) and then add on another month or so of hang
time on the vines and a few more superlatives, and this is what you get.
Several more notches up the ripeness scale, this really is a super-concentrated
version. Pure 24 carat gold in colour, with a nose that possesses everything
that Grappe d'Or has, along with candied fruits of all descriptions and colours
and notes of toasted almonds, diesel and woodsmoke, basil and oregano. A
hint of honey even suggests a touch of botrytis (on both the nose and palate)
whilst the acidity is definitely more tangerine and seville orange than the
lemon/lime of its sibling, still wonderfully bracing and tangy, but richer
and fuller, and with all sorts of apple crumble, honeycomb, raisin and mixed
spice things going on. At £28 for a full 75cl bottle, this really does
provide amazing value for money. Plus of course it will keep for weeks, or
even months in the fridge, once opened - if you can resist, that is! A quite
extraordinarily lovely wine.

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Minimum order value,
delivery charges, times and restrictions

We deliver only to UK
and Northern Ireland addresses. The minimum order value is £75
(plus the delivery charge). You may of course choose a mix of any wines in
our range. Orders between £75 and £200: delivery charge is £7.50.
Orders over £200: delivery is free! (If your order is over £200,
please remember to change the delivery charge in checkout to £0.00).
Please note: Delivery
to non-mainland addresses
(Scottish Highlands and Islands, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight,
etc.) is usually possible, but may not be on a next-working-day basis. It
is also more expensive than delivery to mainland addresses, so will be charged at cost (for orders under
£200) but with a small discount for orders over £200 - please
call us for a quote.

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be aged 18 or over

It is an offence to purchase or attempt to purchase alcohol if
you are under the age of 18. (Section 149 Licensing Act 2003).We reserve the right to seek proof of age. Leon Stolarski says "drink less, but drink better!" Please consume alcohol in moderation.